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In an effort to come to terms with the loss of their son, John and Karen Christopher established a nonprofit organization in 2008 to help guide youth towards stable careers and bright futures. Foundation Twentyone honors Jonathan C. Christopher, who was just embarking on a career as an elevator constructor before his untimely passing in an automobile accident.

The area around Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue is set to become the center of the next construction boom in San Francisco. As many as 2,000 units of housing are in the planning pipeline to be built over the next few years or are currently under construction.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved BUILD, Inc’s India Basin mixed use project on October 16, rejecting an appeal of the project’s Environmental Impact Report by some neighborhood and environmental groups. India Basin is located along the San Francisco Bay between the PG&E Power Plant site and Hunters Point Shipyard.

With what will likely be a historically significant midterm election in the rearview, votes are still being counted in many key races across the country. Locally in San Francisco, the ballot was filled with five seats on the Board of Supervisors, a position on the BART Board of Directors and three spots on the School Board. Stakes were also high with ballot initiatives that will impact the city’s readiness for sea level rise and earthquakes as well as the future of transportation and housing. Although the final results are not yet in, many of SFBCTC’s endorsements faired well, a promising outcome that may help spur the passage of a citywide PLA, boost the minimum wage and advance educational opportunities for the trades.

On October 24, the CityBuild Academy held a graduation ceremony marking the end of an 18-week training cycle. The program has equipped 42 graduates with a solid foundation to work as carpenters, laborers, cement masons, iron workers, painters, tile setters and several other trades. Women made up 20 percent of the graduates and 37 finished the Academy with jobs already lined up.

November 6 is one of the most important midterm elections in recent memory. Power in Congress is at stake, and more locally, there are five seats up for grabs on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; important positions to fill on BART and school boards; and a number of local and statewide ballot measures.

A plan to build 253 new market rate apartments and a new Safeway grocery store at the Safeway at 4950 Mission has fallen through as Safeway pulled out of the deal with developer Emerald Fund last month.

Building Trades union representatives turned out in force on September 27 to advocate for project labor agreements for courthouse construction at a meeting of the Judicial Council of California’s Court Facilities Advisory Committee in San Francisco. The Judicial Council of California manages real estate, new court construction, renovations, operations and maintenance for the state.